The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1887-04-15
RrmorrM- Star
"DOes Clover Succeed


"DOes Glover Succeed"
Mobile Register.
This In about the frat question
Northern farmer asks when he ha
landed among us for the purpOsr o
Investigating the agricultural cana
blllties of the lower South. AnC
the average SOufherner promptl,
replies that it does not. What ,
damper to further interest in MS n,
the part of the visiIorl They have
Bind OF clover craze, so 10 speak
~ the upper cOuntry-with them il
Is next door TO "no clover, aud
nothing"
negative answer on the part
OF the Southerncr is not at all cor.
rect so tar as it relates 10 the whole
lower South. 1t comes from tue
reason, perhaps, that he dOu't zee
Clover growing al a common crop.
Ine fact that 1t is not grown is no
evidence that it cannot be grown.
The truth is we can raise clover,
(red clover, ia most of the lower
South, aud make it succeed to IN
tire perfection. About three.iourths
OF Mississippi, Alabama and Geor.
gla grow clover, under proper mau-
agement, ~ successfully as do
any OF the Northern regions. A
few very 6ne clover fields are TO be
met within the States just mention
ed-why they are not more common
can be explained only b. saying
"the Southern people have not vel
got in the way of raising clover
that's why" In the B ack Belt it
runS Wild, We might say, ut every
point where it gets a start, sowing
itself end keeping up for years.
II has been argued that our
warm climate is against red
clover. This is another mistake
1t Is favorable. How common q
thing 1t Is the farmer of Illinois,
Indiana aud OHIO complain, in earl,
spring, that his clover is well nigh
ruined, the repeated thaws aud ST.
we're freezes of winter having pulled
1t out by the ROOFS. There are no
such freezes to interfere with it in
the Gulf States.
After Stating that clover grows
well in Middle Georgia, the Atlanta
Constitution says:
Clover thrives well on rich, allu. 4
vial bottom, ever though they be
somewhat sandy. But, other
things being equal, it grows best OH 8
stiff clay soils, and it is only y
such that its cultivation il to bp =
recommended. But a poor clay
will not grow clover any more than q
Will grow any other erOp-it must
rich /; and much of The failure ia y
growing clover is attributed to thp
character OF The soils. ?;
good, suitable soils we have
that clover will take care OF
tself almost as well as ordinary n
weeds. II it is not pastured to-
and is allowed TO bear "A =
;rOp OF seed occasionally, it will re- y
iced itself and infest the land for Y
many years. We have patches OF v
on our farm now which have
'Ome frOa oHe single seeding up.
ward of twelve years ago. Fl
Tue Constitution thinks clover
be made ID very profitable crop
n the clay aud lime soils of our
iulf States. 1t must have lime aud a
DOtash-it does lot call tor nitro Gr
eue0uS matter. 1t calls therefore lin
the cheapest NATURES we EN- J
does not ask for nitrogen, q
TbIch is the dearest element in
s%ItlllzerS. More than that while 4
does not ask for nitrogen for its
WI use, it leaves the land, after il
occupied il Tor IA year or two,
xceedingly rich in nitrogen. To So
his fact is due its lertiIlzing power.
After a heavy crop o! excellent =
bay is removed from the
the latter is lett, not Empower
but richer than ii was before. /
Glover not only supplies the land
18th Nitrogen, but il leaves il ia The
eSt mechanical condition ; it lOoS I
as and deepems the soil. Its lOHa ~,
roots, thickly scattered through II
~ soil aud down Into the SubSuil, q
they rot leave numerous \
through the subSuiI- d
ignt almost he said to SnbSOil The
nd. Its Ouly rival is the COW pea, W
Id for renOvatiug purposes on our 7
poor land it is probably clea
Ifer1or TO that crop; but for graz. ont
y lots, aud Tor suppl, ing green to 5
ID early spring, clover is great. sill
superiO, 10 tire uta. Cas-,